Ironing machine



June 24, 1930.

IRONING MACHINE Filed'Sept. 27, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 13 ATTORNEY5 R. v. WELL-ER 1,767,865 I June 2 1, 1930.

R. v WELLER 'IRONING MAC INE Filed Sept. 27, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR amigo/7 Mh/A zh 1,; ATTORNEYS R. V. WELLER IRONING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 24, 1930.

Filed Sept. 27, 1926 III III

' INVENTOR fine W h//e1 A; ATTORNEYS Patented June 24,

UNITED STATES v. WELLER, or Booiansrnza,

RANDOLPH v new YoRK,,AssIe1\ToR TO THE DEXTER ooivi- PANY, or FAIRFIELD, IOWA, A conronn'rron or IOWA 'IRONING MACHINE lipplicationfiled September 27, 1926. Serial No. 137,875.

3 The present invention relates to ironing machines and more particularly to the type in which the iron and the bed are moved relatively through a power operatedmechanism which is controlled through a member operated by the user of the machine. An object of the invention is to provide for rendering ineifective said controlling member when the hands ofthe user of the machine are positioning material between the bed and the iron. 1

To this and other ends, the invention consists ofcertain parts and combinations of parts, all of, which will be hereinafter described; the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims. i In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1,is a perspective view of an ironing machine constructed in accordance with this invention; r

.Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the operating mechanism for the iron and the bed and'the controlfthereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the iron and the bed brought into cooperation and the locking mechanism free from the controlling mechanism permitting the operation of the-latter; v Fig. 4: is a fragmentary view showing the iron and the bed out of cooperation and the controlling mechanism locked against operation; and

r Fig. 5'is a fragmentary an opearting mechanism. the iron. 1 I

nMany parts of the ironing machine shown'in this application are shown in an application filed by me on September 24, 1925, Serial No. 58,434, but it will be understoodthat this'invention is not limited sectional view of for the bed and p to a machine of the type shown in said application, as-I believe I am the first to provide a powerdriven' ironing machine which has a controlling. mechanism controlling the relativemovement between an iron and the bed and adapted to be rendered ineffective by hands of. the user-of the machine when suchihands are employed for positioning the :material between'the bed and; the iron. Attention is called to the above mentioned Relative movement between the bed and the application in order that if any of the known mechanisms which are shown in the present application are not clear, their construction and operation may be obtained by reference to the aforesaidapplication.

In the illustrated embodiment of theinvention 1 indicates the frame of the machine o which supports a receiving board or-table 2. side pieces 3 and 4 projecting above thereceiving table and supporting a feedingptable 5. These sides also support a roller bed 6 withrwhich cooperates a curved iron 7 in this instance pivoted at 8 below the bedand extending upwardly in rear of the latter.

iron is effected in this instance by adouble arm lever 9 pivoted at 10 to a support '11 and having one end' secured to a locking burner tube 12 while the other end is pivot} I ally connected at 13 v to one end of a link or pitman 14, the other end of linkl l being connected at 15"to one end of a double arm lever 16. This double arm lever 16 is pivotally supported at 17 on av swinging linklS and-carries atits free end a roller 19 cooperating with a cam 20 on the shaft 21 journalled in the frame a of p the machine.

Aligned with the shaft 21 is a'shaft 22 which carries a worm wheel 23 meshing with a worm'2 in this, instance on'the shaft of an electrical motor 25.

Between the shaft 22 and the shaft 21 there is'employed a clutch embodying, in this instance, a clutch member 26 formed with pockets 27 in one face thereof in'which is adapted to'be projected a plunger 28 guided in a member 29- and operated through a lever 3O', a spring 32 acting on'the "lever to normally hold the plungertoward the member 26; 1 The driv- 3 ing or turningjiof the bed ,6 is'eflected, in this instance, by providing gear teeth 33 on the member :26 to cooperate with gear teeth 34, on a shaft 35 journalled in" a swinging frame 36 which is -mounted to turn on the shaft 37 uforming'the shaft ofthe 'bed- 6-.

Also secured to the shaft '37- is agearwheel 38 which -meshes with a pinion 39 on' the shaft-35 so that there. is provided a train gearing extending between the shaft 22 and the shaft 37 ofthe bed-6 toturn theflatter Connection between the shaft 37 and the shaft 22 is controlled in this instance by a opposite point it holds the gears33 and ber 26.

out of engagement.

'Control of the clutch connection between the shaft 22 and the shaft 21 is effected in this instance through a slide 42 mounted.

on the side frame 4 and having two projections 43 and 44. These projections are adapted to cooperate with 'a cam 45 on the lever 30 to move the plunger 28 out of engagement with the clutch member 26. As-

7 suming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5 and the slide 42 is depressed while the iron is in cooperation with the bed and the bed is turning as shown in Fig. 3, then, with the depression of the projection 43; the lever 30 will move to shift the plunger 28 into engagement with the clutch mom This causes the shaft 21 to'turn to move the iron away from the bed and at the sametime the cam 40 is turned to shift the gear 34 out of engagement with the gear 33 thus stopping the turning of the bed 6. After this has been effected the cam engages the projection 44 and shifts the plunger 28 out of connection with the clutch member 26 thereby holding the iron away from the bed and driving the bed ceases.

The slide 42 before mentioned is pivotally suspended at 46 from a lever 47 which is v pivoted at 48 to the. side piece 4. A similar lever Without the extension for the slide is arranged at the opposite end of themachine and these two levers. support a controlling bar or member 49 which is arranged within a groove '50 in the feeding board 5. V A spring 51 acts on one o'f'these levers and holds the finger bar or controller 49 and the slide 42 in an elevated position with two'projections 43 and 44in the path of the cam 45 so that the depression of the bar 47 moves these projections out of the path of the ter' one o-f'the pocketsorvnotches 27 in the.

' cam 45.

The feature of this invention is the means which renders the controlling means for the power mechanism ineffective while the hand i of the user ofthemachine is'being employed for pos tioning material between the ,iron

and'the bed. Inthis 'instance,'this result 7 is accomplished'by locking the controlling means against operation, this lockingmeans preferably embodying a stop 52mounted for i V a movement beneath the upper end 53 of the 7 formed on one end of a bar lever 47, this stop in "this instance being pivoted at 55 to an arm-56, this arm being mounted on the projecting end 015a rod 57 extending through theliron and projected fromiboth sides thereof, a similar-arm 5.6

54 which is bed are engaged, this control rod or bar 58 is held closely toward the bed 6 by a spring 59 which is anchoredon the frame of the machine and at its other end to the bar 54, thus positioning the stop 52 out of the path of the end 53 of the lever 47 permitting the'controlling or finger bar 49 to be depressed. VVhen the user of the machine desires to position goodsbetween the iron and the bed it is necessary that she introduce her'fingers between the bar 58 and'the bed 6 to move said bar upwardly and rearwardly away from the bed so as to clear the space between the bed and the iron. In doing this. the bar 54 is shifted, bringing the stop 52 into the path of the projecting end 53 of the lever 47 thereby'preventing the depression of the lever and consequently the depression of the finger bar 49. This efiectively prevents the power mechanism being started through the. controlling mechanism when the operators hand lies between the iron and the bed during the positioning of material between such parts.

The operation of the ironingmachine is as follows: The motor 25 drives the worm 24 which turns the worm wheel 23 and also the stub shaft 22 which has the combined clutch member and gear 26' and 33 rigidly secured thereto. The gear 33 drives the gear 34 which in turn drives the 39 meshing. with the gear-'38 on the shaft 37 of the rotary bed .6, thus effecting a rota- 'tion to the bed. Thegear34 is movable by means of the arm 36into and out of.

engagement with the gear 33 so that connection between the gear 33 and the rotary bed may be broken. .This is effected through the cam 40 on the stub shaft 21,..the cam engaging the roller 41 'periodically' and liftgear ing the gear 34 away from the gear: 33. r

The pin or plunger 28 is adapted to "encombined clutch and gear 26 and 33 in order to'establish connection between the shaft face 45- on the lever 30 which COI1tIOlS.;thB I clutch pin 28, the spring 32 normally hold-. ing the cam surface toward the slide'to proj ect. the plunger 28. The slide-is suspended from vthe lever 47 which is pivoted at 48 andwhich in turn has connections with the finger bar :49. The projections 43 and lie normally in the path of .rotationofthe cam and the depression of the finger bar 49 moves these two projections out o-f the path oftravel of the camr45. As soon as the cam 45 engages with the projection 43 or 44, the clutch pin or plunger 28 is moved out of engagement'with the clutch member 26 and stops the cam 45 in engagement with one of the projections 43 or 44. As soon as the slide 42 is depressed, the projection 44 or 43 moves out of engagement with the cam 45 and permits the spring 32 to shift the clutch pin or plunger 28 into one of the pockets 27. By this time, the finger bar 49 is released and after the cam 45 has moved a distance less than the one-half of a circle, the cam 45 will engage the other projection 43 or 44 and again releases the shaft 21 from the shaft 22-. In other words, the shaft 21 is rotated 180? to the clutch plunger 28 and is then released automatically by one of the projections 43 or 44 which holds the plunger 28 out of clutching position until the finger bar is again depressed. When the cam engages the pro-- jection 43, the gear 34 is in mesh with the gear 33, but when the cam 45 engages the projection 44, the gear 34 is lifted out of engagement with the gear 33. In other words, when the iron is in engagement with the bed, the gears 33 and 34 are in mesh so as to rotate the bed, but when the iron is moved away from the bed, the bed and the gears 33 and 34 are out of engagement so that the bed is not rotated.

Movement of the iron is effected through the cam 20 which engages the roller 19 on the lever 18, its high point swinging the lever 18 in one direction to move the iron toward the bed and its low point permitting the iron tomove away from the bed. This lever 18 connects by a link 14 with a rocking arm 9 pivoted at 10 to the yieldingly supported member 11. The arm 9 rocks on the iron 7 which is pivoted at 8. ,All of these above parts are shown and described in my prior application hereinbefore mentioned. Associated with thi's'or equivalent mechanism is means for rendering such controlling means inefli'ective, comprising a displaceable member 58 lying in front of the spring between the iron and the bed so that it must be displaced when the hand of the user is introduced between the iron and the bed. This bar is carried by arms 55 and pivoted at 57 to one of these arms is a member 54 which has a portion 52 movable in the path of the end" 53 of the lever 47 so that the lever 47 cannot be depressed through the finger bar 49 to control the clutch when a hand is introduced between the iron and the bed.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an ironing machine, the combination with a bed, an iron cooperating with the bed,

and power mechanism fer efieeting relative movementbetween the bed and the iroii'to I bring them intoand out of' cooperati'omof means under the control of the operator for controlling the power mechanism, 'a movable member extending above the bed in advance of theiron, and adapted to be displaced by the hand of the'use'r of the machineiin introducing material'between the bed and the iron, and, means operated by said movable member for locking the controlling means against movement when saidmovable memher is displaced by the hand ofa user in introducing material between the bed and the iron-and the/iron and the bed are sep} arated. I

- 2. In an ironing machine,the combination chine in introducing material between the bed and the iron, and connection between said member and the lock for locking the controlling means against movement when the said member is displaced and the iren and the bed are separated.

'3. In an ironing machine, the combination with a rotary bed, a curved iron mounted for movement toward and from the bed at the rear of the latter, power mechanism for effecting the movement of the iron toward and from the bed, and means under the control of the operator of the machine for effecting the operation of the power mechanism, of a member movably mounted on the iron in advance of the upper end of the latter and over the bed so that it must be displaced by the hand of the user of the machine in introducing material between the bed and the iron, and locking means controlled by said member for locking the controlling means against movement when the member'is displaced by the hand of a user in introducing material between the bed and the iron and the iron and the bed are separated.

4. In an ironing machine, the combination with a rotary bed, a curved iron mounted for movement toward and from the bed in rear of the latter, and having its upper end projecting above the bed to provide an intake portion through which material may be introduced between the bed and the iron, pow= er mechanism for effecting the movement of theiron toward and from the bed, and means under the control of the operator for effecting the operation of the power mechanism, of a member extending substantially i-so throughout the length of the iron in advance bed and mounted for'movement on the iron, r

ofthe upper end of the latter and over the a bar connected to said member, and'a lock shifted by said bar into and out of the path of the controlling'means.

'5. The combination with a bed and an iron, of power mechanism for eflecting relative movement between them, an automativ cally operating'make and break device for stopping the movement between them when they are in engagement and also when they are separated, an operative-operated controla r ler for said make and break device to cause the power mechanlsm toeifect the movement between the bed and the iron, a lock for holding said operative-operated controller against movement and means for controlling the lock embodying a displaceable member lyingoutside of but in close proximity to the space between the bed and the iron so that it will be displaced upon the introduction of a hand between'the bed and the iron when said elements are separated.

6, In an ironing machine, a rotary bed, a curved iron cooperating with the bed, and power mechanism for moving one of said elements into and out of engagement with the other, of automatic means for stopping such movement when the two elements are in cooperation and also are separated, operative-controlled means for starting such movement, a lock for the operative-controlled means, and means for operating the lock embodying a displaceable member supported by the iron in front of said space so that it must be displaced to introduce material between the bed and the iron.-

RANDOLPH V. WELLER. 

